Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, is supposed to be the inventor of salads. Because of his fondness for salad plants, he was accused of eating grass, and, like most originals, was considered a “crank.”
The “bitter herbs” of the Paschal Feast of which we read in sacred scripture, was nothing neither more nor less than a salad. It consisted of lettuce, dandelion, chamomile and mint, combined with oil and vinegar.
From the Oriental countries has descended our taste for salads. “A lodge in a garden of cucumbers” in the sultry eastern lands was a haven of rest indeed. In those days, cucumbers and melons were among the greatest luxuries.
The Greeks were noted for their fondness of lettuce, which they served at the end of a repast. The Romans, always the imitators of the Greeks, followed their example in this respect, but later they used lettuce with egg as a first course, in order to stimulate the appetite. In default of lettuce, they ate endive. Ancient physicians recognized the narcotic value of lettuce, and the Greek physician, Galen, termed it the “philosopher’s, or wise man’s herb.” The herb doctors prescribed the spring salad for the sick, while the superstitious extolled it as a preventive of disease and decay.
Queen Catherine of England, a great lover of the salad, could not procure it in London, and her royal husband, Henry, had to send to the Netherlands for a gardener to come and cultivate the necessary plants.
Many Americans have the erroneous idea that foreign nations excel in salad making. France for a long time lead in this delicate art; we are told that the artist preeminent in salad-making was the Frenchman, Chevelier Gaudet, who fled to England at the outbreak of the French Revolution, and without friends or fortune, realized a handsome property from his knowledge of salad-making alone. He considered the mixing of a salad as so serious and dignified a profession that he never approached the salad bowl except in full gala costume, with his sword by his side. His services were in great demand by the nobility, in order that their guests might be regaled with one of his creations.
The salad stands alone in this particular: It may be served on all occasions, and to any class of people. It is one of the most delightful and healthful of Heaven’s gifts to man. A modern authority tells us “salads refresh without weakening, and make people younger.” While this statement may be accepted with the proverbial grain of salt, it is nevertheless true that salad plants are better tonics and blood purifiers than druggists’ compounds.
Donald Hammond loves his salads and is always looking for new and interesting ones. He has authored an ebook on recipes for salads from over 50 years ago. Visit Salad Blog for interesting recipes and news about salads.
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